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10 Questions with ... Stellar Kart
July 24, 2006
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NAME:Stellar KartTITLE:Musician
The Lineup:
Adam Agee - Vocals, guitar
Jordan Messer - Drums
Cody Pellerin - Lead guitar
Brian Calcara - BassLabel:
Word RecordsDiscography:
We Can't Stand Sitting Down - July 25, 2006
All Gas. No Brake. - 20051) Introduce the members of Stellar Kart to everyone out there using some musical history and signature personality traits.
Jordan and I (Adam) started the band about five years ago when his dad taught me how to play guitar. Jordan has played drums since he was 3 and started playing in church when he was like 7-years-old. Cody then joined the band after playing in several metal/grunge bands in the Phoenix area before giving in to "the pop." He has been playing guitar for about 13 years and went to music school for several years playing guitar. Brian joined the band about two years ago after playing for a band called Ramshackle in Iowa.
I am the leader of the band and I get us from city to city and show to show and make sure things run smoothly. I also do most of the talking and interviews. Jordan is our punk rock kid who loves music and never goes more than an hour without listening to some kind of music. He is quiet and sleeps all the time when he's not playing drums or designing merch. Cody is our fix-it guy and he also builds longboards when he's not shredding on guitar. He makes sure we stay on the road by keeping our van and trailer working perfectly. Brian is our comic relief. He is crazy and there is never a dull moment around him. He was the perfect addition to the band because of how much he enjoys just being able to do what we do.
2) In ten words or less, how would describe the sound of Stellar Kart?
Fun, exciting, positive, upbeat, energetic, catchy, singable, inspiring
3) What bands/musicians are listed as Stellar Kart's musical influences?
Audio A, Blink 182, Boxcar Racer, Simple Plan, Yellowcard, Switchfoot, Relient K, Green Day, Jimmy Eat World, The All American Rejects
4) How have you seen/heard your musical skills grow over the last couple years?
A: When you practice something every day, you should hopefully get better at it. Through learning from other musicians we've met and playing a ton of shows, we've been able to improve as lyricists and musicians and have developed the other intangibles that go along with being in the spotlight.
5) Can you offer a brief history of the band?
Five years ago, we started as the youth praise band in our church in Glendale, AZ. We then played a bunch of camps, retreats, conferences and concerts in the Arizona/ Southern California area. All in all, we played about 300 shows in our first three years until we made a decent demo and got signed to Word Records. Since then, we've recorded two albums and shared the stage with just about every band in Christian music.
6) Does Stellar Kart have an end purpose in mind? Or is it all about the music?
I don't think we have an "end" purpose, but I do believe that our journey's goal is to be a positive influence in as many lives as possible. We've been given a mission from God to spread the good news to all nations. As soon as we've accomplished that, then we can rest.
7) If you weren't doing Stellar Kart, what would you be doing?
Adam: I would either be a worship pastor at a church, a youth pastor, both, or teach and coach at a high school
8) What's the most interesting tale you have from the past year on the road?
There are so many stories. Here's a recent one. Cody and Brian were surfing in San Diego during a weeklong camp this summer. They were having a great time until Cody saw a grey cylinder in the water as he was catching a wave. Then Brian yelled, "Oh my gosh, it's a shark!" Just at that moment, Cody saw its eyes and face in the wave and yelled at Brian to paddle to shore. As they got closer to shore and started running through the water, Cody looked back and saw two fins chasing them in the water. He was screaming to all the kids, telling them to get out of the water because of the shark. They finally made it to shore and told the lifeguard about the sharks. The lifeguard got out his binoculars and looked out where Cody was pointing. He then looked at Cody and said, "Dude, it's a dolphin."
9) What does this new record WE CAN'T STAND SITTING DOWN talk about?
The general message of the new record is that we can't make it through life on our own. We've realized that we can't see the full scope of what God has planned for us, and so many times he has shown up at just the right time to reaffirm our faith. When we give up control to him, he reveals his plan to us piece by piece to let us know that he is always there.
10) What's your take on living in Nashville? Do you have any interesting neighbors or favorite pastimes while you're at home?
Nashville is great. We usually like to sleep when we're home. Also, we invite bands over for a barbeque when they are traveling through or go see our friends at the label and try to mooch some free lunch. We're not home often, so when we're there we try to relax and recharge.
Bonus Questions
1) Who would be a dream artist to record with (any genre)?
Adam: Nichole Nordeman - I would love to sing a duet with her; she's my fav.
2 ) Any practical jokes on the road?
Once we had a cop arrest Brian for riding a go-ped just to embarrass him and freak him out. It was hilarious.
3) What is your favorite city to visit?
Either New York City or San Diego - NYC for the people and crazy city life and SD for the beach, weather and laidback vibe.
4) What is your favorite meal?
Mexican food in Arizona
5) Musical guilty pleasures?
Rascal Flatts, Mariah Carey, Boys II Men
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